New film alert: Christoph Waltz to embrace Hollywood's golden era in 'Billy Wilder & Me'

Emmy-winning actor Christoph Waltz is set to take on the challenging role of Hollywood icon Billy Wilder in the upcoming film 'Billy Wilder & Me', produced by Jeremy Thomas, as reported by Variety.

Stepping into Billy Wilder's Shoes

The film, adapted from Jonathan Coe's book by Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton with Stephen Frears at the helm, promises a unique blend of a coming-of-age story and a true-life portrayal of Wilder, capturing a crucial part of Hollywood's 'golden era'. Wilder, revered for his films such as "Sunset Blvd.", "The Apartment", and "The Seven Year Itch", leaves substantial shoes for Waltz to fill.

The film's narrative unfolds during the summer of 1977, centered around a young woman who begins working for Wilder and his screenwriter Iz Diamond on the Greek island set of "Fedora". As she follows Wilder to Germany, she delves deeper into Wilder's complex family history.

An All-Star Collaboration

Reuniting Frears and Hampton for the third time after their successful collaborations on “Dangerous Liaisons” and “Cheri”, this project also brings together producer Thomas and co-producers Reinhard Brundig and Christos V. Konstantakopoulos. Production was scheduled to start in the spring of 2023, spanning locations in Greece, Munich, and Paris; however, it is delayed to 2024 due to other commitments of the cast.

Waltz, echoing the sentiments of Wilder, expressed his anticipation for the project, stating, "Billy Wilder said, ‘You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning.’ A Stephen Frears movie from a Christopher Hampton script produced by Jeremy Thomas should do the trick for me".

In a similar vein, Hampton conveyed his gratitude and admiration for Wilder, highlighting how the cinematic giant had been encouraging and kind to him since their first meeting in the 80s.

With such profound reverence for Wilder's legacy and an all-star cast and crew, 'Billy Wilder & Me' aims to capture the hearts of cinema lovers everywhere, further immortalizing the extraordinary contribution of Billy Wilder to Hollywood.

Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.